"Not a day goes by that I don't think of the passengers and crew" who died when the plane crashed, Comair Flight 5191 co-pilot James Polehinke said in December. He is recovering in Florida.

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The Courier-Journal

'A horrendous, horrendous tragedy all around'

James Polehinke, the lone survivor of Comair Flight 5191, has had a "horrific year," according to his mother, Honey Jackson.

"It's been a horrendous, horrendous tragedy all around; not only for those that died, but for my son as well," Jackson said in a recent interview.

Polehinke, the flight's co-pilot, was guiding the plane when it crashed. He lost a leg, suffered brain injuries and broke many bones in the crash. Hospitalized for months afterward, he is continuing his recovery at his home in Florida.

Last month, the National Transportation Safety Board agreed that the crash was caused by the flight crew's failure to pick up on numerous clues that they were trying to take off from the wrong runway — one that was too short and wasn't used for commercial flights.

Polehinke's family and attorney have declined to provide details about Polehinke's current condition.

"It's obviously been very difficult," is all Bruce Brandon, a lawyer for Polehinke, would say.

Polehinke, who is one of four children, has a wife and four dogs. One of Polehinke's neighbors in Margate, Fla., said earlier this month that she sees him sitting outside in a wheelchair from time to time, noting that he looks good.

In December, Polehinke released a statement saying that "not a day goes by that I don't think of the passengers and crew" who died when the plane crashed in Lexington on the morning of Aug. 27, 2006.